Matt Joyce Suspended 2 Games Over Gay Slur

Major League Baseball (MLB) on Saturday
suspended Oakland Athletics outfielder Matt Joyce for two games over
a gay slur he hurled at a fan as the A's battled the Angels in
Anaheim.

MLB also announced that Joyce, 33, will
take part in a public outreach initiative with Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), which supports the LGBT
community, the AP reported.

Joyce apologized in a series of tweets.

“In regard to last night's incident,
I sincerely apologize to the fans, the Oakland A's, MLB and most
importantly the LGBTQ community for my comments and actions,"
Joyce wrote. “A fan yelled vulgar and obscene words about me and
my family and I let my frustrations and emotions get the better of
me.”

"I am beyond sorry for the
inappropriate language that I used and understand and agree that
those words should NEVER come out of someone's mouth no matter the
situation. Anyone who knows me will tell you that it is not
reflective of me as a person, how I treat others, how I live my life
and that those hurtful words are not my views. I fully support and
hope to help the LGBTQ community with their efforts in being treated
fairly. I intend to let my actions speak louder than anything more
that can be said about this truly regrettable moment.”

The Oakland Athletics said in a
statement that they were “disappointed” by Joyce's comments.

“This language is unacceptable and
will not be tolerated by our team. We pride ourselves on being
inclusive and expect our entire organization to live up to higher
standards.”

The A's added that they are donating
more than $54,000 of Joyce's forfeited salary to PFLAG.